The rapidly spreading Delta variant of Covid is spawning a slew of bad policy decisions and threatens even more. A drumbeat for stern action appears across the legacy media. The New York Times editorial board and its OP-ED page demand vaccine and masking mandates. A Nobel prize-winning Economist tells us it’s time to forget “Nudges” and get tough. The most comprehensive rant I found was in the USA today and reprinted in other Gannett Newspapers. It takes up an entire newspaper page. 

All point to a shared view the unvaccinated are selfishly endangering society and must be forced to change their ways. These rubes can’t understand the science, so for safety’s sake, action is warranted. Forget the carrots and pick up the club.

As I’ve previously pointed out, there are plenty of legitimate reasons to hesitate to take the shot. Ignoring rather than recognizing the rationales is the modus operandi for the media. This mind frame is resulting in a manual of how not to reach people. It is splitting the country even further without solving the problem. Instead of taking my advice and selling people, the Biden Administration and its media allies make the situation worse.  

In the past few days, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Administration’s top medical advisor, took to several media outlets to threaten an avalanche of vaccine mandates just as soon the FDA gives the vaccines full approval. While he didn’t predict the blessing within 30 days, Labor Day or sooner is the unofficial goal. Employer vaccine mandates at your job or desire to participate in everyday life will finally force those Red-State bumpkins to take the shot. Without the possibility of lawsuits over being forced to take experimental medicine, it will be full speed ahead. 

Before the election, Biden and Kamala cast doubt on the Vaccines developed under Project Warp Speed. They expressed fear President Trump was forcing approval without the standard FDA procedures. Previously, we expected Pfizer’s full O.K. by the first of the year. Suddenly it’s anticipated by Labor Day. Could the full-court press by this Administration and its  supporting media be putting the FDA under the extreme pressure they inferred on Trump? It sure looks like it.

I, for one, have felt the FDA is dragging its feet for no good reason, but rather than Warp Speed’s quietly working with the FDA to safely speed things up, we all can see the goading. This visual could scare people rather than assuring them. This mistake may cause even more, not less, resistance.

We have known virtually from the beginning Covid’s severe risk increases with age. The risk-reward ratio is very different for the 65+ population vs. a six-year-old. Just when we are on the cusp of allowing vaccines for all children, we have increased distrust of the FDA.

It doesn’t help when we realize the Administration has never named a new head of the agency. What message is this sending at a time everyone is questioning the agency? Will we be mandating the vaccine for all children based on the leaderless FDA? I’m a big believer in our vaccines, but I’ll need convincing where vaccine mandates for low-risk children are concerned. Can the present FDA provide it?

Maybe we shouldn’t even think of asking all children to take the shots. We know there is substantial asymptomatic Covid spread, especially among the young. Symptoms or not, these kids may have anti-bodies that give as good or better Covid protection as vaccines—studies from the Cleveland Clinic, the U.K., and Israel support this view. We’re so busy testing the kids for Covid; why not check for anti-bodies?

Of course, this brings into focus something the Administration and the government medical community continue to ignore, anti-bodies in the recovered. With more mandates come lawsuits by those testing positive for anti-bodies. With the numerous studies on his side, Todd Zywicki has filed suit against his employer, George Mason University, for mandating he get vaccinated. Having recovered from Covid and testing positive for anti-bodies, the eminent Law professor makes a strong case against demanding the already immune to take the shot. By not making room for the already resistant, mandates come across as unscientific.

This failure has led to the Government medical community’s past and present miscalculations. Other nations understand the recovered are immune. Israel’s Green Pass not only allows the vaccinated to lead a more normal life but gives the same grace to the naturally resistant. 

Going back to April of last year, I’ve been for anti-body testing. Our local Labcorp will test you for anti-bodies for $42. With all the billions we’ve already tossed at Covid, why not subsidize widespread anti-body testing? In many cases, it may avoid the cost of needless vaccination. More importantly, we would have actual data on who is immune, either naturally or vaccinated. 

According to the Wall Street Journal, in the U.K., they know, “between 90% and 94% of British adults have some degree of to coronavirus from full or partial vaccination, or prior infection.” This knowledge allows them to return to everyday life. In any case, there is no reason not to honor anti-body test results no matter who pays. Incredibly, the NIH spends only 2 % of $42 billion it’s allocated t on obtaining usable Covid data.

Those demanding the vaccine mandates point to getting out ahead of new, more deadly variants. This argument defies logic. The variants giving us the most trouble all came from abroad. The Delta variant is from India. Areas with little immunity are where the virus has free rein to mutate. If we want to block variants, vaccinating the low immunity areas of the world is imperative. Putting shots in the arms of those already immune is a senseless waste. These shots could inoculate millions of people worldwide. In any case, how ethical is it to vaccinate an immune young person here rather than someone very vulnerable abroad?

Masking, in general, is contentious, with many notables presenting well-documented arguments against anything but the proper wearing of top-grade masks such as the N95. 

Putting young children in face coverings has even less data support. The only study offered in support is a Duke University study of a million students. Sounds impressive until you realize only masked students participated. That’s right, no unmasked control group. So much for science. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has alluded to an ongoing Brown University study of masked and unmasked Florida school children so far shows little or no difference. Once completed and reviewed, it might give us better insights than Duke’s highly touted but unscientific study.

Haven’t we done enough damage to our kids already? Many have been without in-person schooling for the last year. They may never make up for their learning losses.

Let’s look at things from the kid’s point of view and help their learning instead of continuing to hinder. A kindergartner in a wet cloth mask is a tragedy. Remember, grade school children in Sweden have been in school unmasked throughout the Pandemic with excellent results. We know it is far more likely adults spread Covid to children rather than the other way around. Better to make sure the teachers and other school personnel are resistant either naturally or vaccinated.

It seems every day we have more evidence this Administration and the government it leads haven’t done their homework. This lack leads to confused and ineffective actions. Instead of demanding a significant expansion of government in our lives, it would be better first to show they can handle what is already on their plate. Failing to make the right decisions is eroding our faith in government. So far, the signs aren’t encouraging. Everyday that goes by, NIH, FDA and CDC have less credibility.